High-quality human disease models are crucial for generating 'first-in-class' patient-relevant targets and facilitating the development of novel oncology targets and early-stage drug discovery programs within the pharmaceutical industry. The new in vivo X-MAN (X-Gene Mutant And Normal) models will be made available to customers by Crown Bioscience via a new service offering whilst Horizon will provide access to a broad range of in vitro services based around its inventory of; >450 X-MAN cell lines, >50 phenotypic cell-based assays and its SyntheTx™ drug/RNAi screening platform.

Leveraging their unique drug discovery and translational research platforms, Crown Bioscience and Horizon Discovery help develop the best drug candidates with high confidence for clinical development, reducing drug attrition and development cost. Crown Bioscience and Horizon Discovery are ideally placed to help bring to the clinic lead molecules based upon highly validated and novel drug models. The in vitro and in vivo cell lines are available to clients who want to help validate new models and become early adopters with full access to new models at the earliest possible phase.

“Crown Bioscience aspires to become the innovation engine for the global biotech and pharmaceutical industry. We are guided by our responsibility to clients and a desire to make a major positive impact on human life worldwide. We are constantly pioneering new paths and finding new answers to meet the urgent needs of our customers’ waging war against cancer,” said Jean-Pierre Wery, President of Crown Bioscience. “The novel in vivo models we are developing based on the X-MANTM cell lines offer new opportunities for clients to collaborate with us at an early stage and validate the models based on their needs, This will allow greater insights and better means to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of compounds and their impact on key physiological functions.”

“Horizon Discovery uses its highly efficient and proprietary gene-engineering platform technology, GENESIS™ to precisely engineer X-MAN human disease models that harbor the key genetic features that drive a patient’s disease” commented Darrin Disley, CEO of Horizon Discovery. “We are delighted to provide Crown Bioscience with our unique range of X-MAN cell lines, so that Crown can develop and provide our clients with a suite of in vivo models that complements our extensive range of in vitro services.”

The new in vivo models demonstrate Crown Bioscience’s commitment to continuing to invest in and expand its portfolio of models and to work collaboratively with partners and clients to accurately and robustly evaluate the efficacy of new therapeutic agents. The in vivo models are designed to help clients address their key needs and challenges by providing cutting-edge clinically relevant models that are ready to run. Crown Bioscience’s comprehensive services for drug development, from target to pre-IND, have accelerated confident Go/No Go decisions during early stage drug discovery and ensured robust pre-clinical candidate selection.